‘Afterlife of Billy Fingers’ by Annie Kagan is a lightweight book about Ms Kagan’s communications with her brother Billy after he died.

Billy was an alcoholic and drug addict, and Ms Kagan’s portrait of him is of a wild hearted, troubled, trouble-making and charming man.

His afterlife communications with her offer an example of why old wisdom teaches “judge not.” From our limited perspective here in a physical world, we don’t have all the information. We don’t know what others have intended for their experience here, or what value their whole selves gain from their lives. Judging them only reveals our own limitation and ignorance.

Practicing discernment and personal choice as to what we want to experience in our own physical life movie is necessary and wise. That’s possible to do without judgment on the people or situation we’re choosing to bypass or jettison. A transforming distinction, if one applies it to the choices and decisions in life.

Afterlife of Billy Fingers is a lightweight book written at about an eighth grade reading level, a story that doesn’t convey much reflection or deep thought, but it’s a quick read with a lovely and powerful little gem of love: judge not.

3 responses to “Reflections on Afterlife of Billy Fingers”

I don’t know if you meant the word as a criticism, but didn’t find this book lightweight at all. I think easy to read might be a better way to say it. All my life I’ve been deeply affected by stories: fairy tales, autobiographies, Old Testament episodes. Stories carry their weight in disguise, without seeming weighty. Annie’s book REALLY helped me understand myself, and things I had done that some people considered very bad, but that I felt I had to do, either from compulsion or for want of a better way. I’ve passed it along to others who have someone BAD in their families or friend circles. I agree about the powerful gem of love.